How did that bait turn out?

[txchaser]

It's nearing what passes for winter here, so how about a winter thread kicked off by me finding stuff when organizing. 

 

X-zone swammers?
I bought some, but sitting in a box full of Keitechs or Jackall's it is hard to reach for them. But perhaps I don't know when to prefer them? 

 

z-man hella craws?
hought about getting some, then looked at a box full of rage craws and thought I should just fish those until I hear a bunch of people here excited about them. 

 

And in the more recent launches, z-man Hellraizer topwater? I've fished mine a little but the topwater bite has been pretty marginal before it launched. 

 

Any new baits for you this year that were launched to much fanfare then got quiet? 

[Finessegenics]

The swammers do work as stand alone baits but they excel as jig trailers. They have an aggressive rolling action, so much so that even your jig will rock a bit if it is light enough. Try the swammers on a 1/4oz or 3/8oz swim jig.

 

Berkley Gilly for me. I rigged one up this whole year and did not get a bite on it. I only fished it for a few dozen casts though. I have 5 unopened packs in various colors and sizes. I will try to make more use of them next year but it's hard to pick them up when your other trusted baits work so well. 

[Bluebasser86]

The Hella Craw has largely been a dud for me. Haven't caught many fish while using them, and when I do, they don't have a very high survival rate for a Zman plastic. None have survived more than 5 fish, kind of defeating the purpose of using a Zman. Plus you have to deal with the extra care to keep them in shape and away from other baits. 

[Hook2Jaw]

10 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

The Hella Craw has largely been a dud for me. Haven't caught many fish while using them, and when I do, they don't have a very high survival rate for a Zman plastic. None have survived more than 5 fish, kind of defeating the purpose of using a Zman. Plus you have to deal with the extra care to keep them in shape and away from other baits. 

I wanted these to be good, but what I've found is they don't have any action unless they're moving very quickly.  Pure dud.

[padon]

11 hours ago, Finessegenics said:

The swammers do work as stand alone baits but they excel as jig trailers. They have an aggressive rolling action, so much so that even your jig will rock a bit if it is light enough. Try the swammers on a 1/4oz or 3/8oz swim jig.

 

Berkley Gilly for me. I rigged one up this whole year and did not get a bite on it. I only fished it for a few dozen casts though. I have 5 unopened packs in various colors and sizes. I will try to make more use of them next year but it's hard to pick them up when your other trusted baits work so well. 

the swammers do work. they do have a good rolling action. they work well for me in warm water when fish are aggresive. when the water is cold there are better options. i also really like them for swim jig trailers.

[Buzzbaiter]

The whopper plopper was a dud for me this year. Mostly because I only bought one and casted it into a log on the first try

[FishTank]

I had no luck with the Hella Craws. The Swammers worked for me but no different than any other paddle tail.  I know nothing about the Hellraizer. 

[Spankey]

For the upcoming season not much new that I’m thinking about trying. Picking up as few new to me color patterns of stuff that has worked. 
 

I fish tubes, I’ve never fished any of the Dry Creek Outfitters tubes yet. Want to try some.  I don’t want to say a tubes is a tube is a tube because I don’t believe that. But I feel good about trying some DCO tubes. 

[Scott804]

I tried to go back through my TW order history and find some duds, but I did pretty good this year at finding some new tools. 

 

I did pick up a spro rkcrawler late into the season and it is yet to produce. But I have faith that it will at some point still. I also bought a Jackall Bounty Fish early in the season and fished it hard for half a day but I think it was a tad before the topwater bite had turned on, so I have hope for that one too. 

[txchaser]

On 12/13/2022 at 8:55 PM, Scott804 said:

Jackall Bounty Fish early in the season and fished it hard for half a day but I think it was a tad before the topwater bite had turned on, so I have hope for that one too. 

Ah I forgot about the bounty fish. No fish for me on it either, or maybe just a dink. But topwater was poor all year, so they'll get another shot. Seems like a great spook-like bait but for more weedy places, which is much of my reality. We'll see though.

[webertime]

Couldn't get bit on a coverscat. Ikas and Keitech footballs YES... throw a coverscat right after those and the fish stopped 

biting.

 

OSP baits were amazing, pretty sure if I threw the wrapper in, it would get bit.

 

[Munkin]

Berkeley Maxscent hasn't lived up to the hype for me. 

 

Allen 

[Columbia Craw]

6th Sense Glitch Worm.  I’m a sucker for drop shot baits but this one is keeper.

[Luke Barnes]

On 12/12/2022 at 8:38 AM, Finessegenics said:

The swammers do work as stand alone baits but they excel as jig trailers. They have an aggressive rolling action, so much so that even your jig will rock a bit if it is light enough. Try the swammers on a 1/4oz or 3/8oz swim jig.

 

Berkley Gilly for me. I rigged one up this whole year and did not get a bite on it. I only fished it for a few dozen casts though. I have 5 unopened packs in various colors and sizes. I will try to make more use of them next year but it's hard to pick them up when your other trusted baits work so well. 

I want to try the Gilly in a bad way. The last I remember they were about $8 a pack so I'll probably wait until after Christmas and birthday and see if I get any gift cards.

[Aaron Faulls]

On 12/19/2022 at 3:04 PM, Luke Barnes said:

I want to try the Gilly in a bad way. The last I remember they were about $8 a pack so I'll probably wait until after Christmas and birthday and see if I get any gift cards.

I was so sure that the Gilly was going to absolutely crush it for me last year that I stocked up on all 3 sizes and all patterns before the late-winter/early spring thaw.   

I threw every possible setup, rigging and modification during all 4 seasons in 4 states across 2 separate regions.  I think in all of 2022 I hooked one, *maybe* 2 largemouth on the smallest Bluegill HD pattern, and they were nose-rigged.  

A year later, in January of 2023, I have 6 or 8 of them left in various sizes.  I’m not going to toss them out but I definitely won’t be buying more any time soon.

[waymont]

Swammers 4” on belly weighted under spin has been a go to swimbait rig for the last 3 years for me. It’s my favorite swimbait. Hella craws is a very good jig trailer, haven’t tried it on a t rig yet.

I think the flat top on the swammers is what gives them their magic movement.

[snake95]

Of these, I tried the Gilly and had moderate success.  Probably had the most success nosed hooked with a circle hook and a couple of finishing nails inserted to weight it down. Swam it close to surface like a wake/swimbait and got a couple of decent bites.

 

Seems like a good application will be to fish near cover where a treble hook wakebait will be asking for more trouble with snags. Compared to a toad that might be used in a similar situation it's less weedless and more subtle.

 

The new bait for last year for me is Rapala's flatsided OG and tiny OG cranks. Had good success with those.

 

 

[softwateronly]

The one that really hit for me was a preacher jig, specifically the outcast chicken jig in bluegill. In summer it did what I heard it would do, generate strikes on deep water breaks. Usually, hard bottom areas between grass patches in 18-25’. As I gained confidence and threw it more, I also realized it was really effective bringing it downhill in that 8-15’ range. I had to tight line it a bit more to run the weed tops, but I was also able to pop it free much easier than anticipated if I let it get down and in the weeds more than desired. Frequently I’d get that lovely thunk right after I freed it or the next time I went to move it. I think it was something those fish rarely saw and they liked it. I picked up a 1/2oz this year to give me a better opportunity to have it sit on top of the shallow weeds instead of burying to see if this could get even better. 
 

scott